The present invention relates to garden pond structures, and more particularly to such structures having loads such as fountain sculptures located therein.
Typical garden ponds are constructed as small-scale swimming pools, having a reinforced concrete shell set on or buried in the ground, interior surfaces of the shell typically having a plaster coating. Often it is desired to have a fountain in such a pond, and it is also desired to avoid the expense of forming the reinforced concrete shell in situ. However, portable vessels suitable for ponds are unsuitable for a number of reasons. For example:
1. They do not have sufficient strength to support high load concentrations that are typical of fountain devices;
2. They are excessively heavy to be transported except in very small sizes; and
3. Modular construction involves excessive onsite labor expense.
Thus there is a need for a lightweight and portable pond structure that is generously sized and capable of supporting a rigid heavy load such as a fountain, and is also inexpensive to provide.